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Columnist Inder Sidhu says Amazon can tout its "transformational business computing platform", a sold-out electronic gadget and a savvy idea for viewing television and films. As the largest online retailer in the world, however, Amazon has plenty of rivals and companies that would like to take a piece of it. To keep its competitive advantage, Amazon has become agile and used innovative thinking.

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Innovative thinking in product development and implementations has kept Amazon thriving despite the continual threat of upstarts aiming to grab pieces of the business, writes Cisco Senior Vice President Inder Sidhu. Amazon has learned to leverage partnerships and proprietary technology, staying a step ahead of competitors with such innovations as its online shopping carts and the latest version of the Kindle, Sidhu writes.

Gucci, Burberry Group and other luxury brands are turning their attention to status-conscious parents by offering high-end products for children. Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts said the company could bolster its sales of children's wear as it adds to its eight standalone stores for children. "There is excellent potential for children's wear across retail and wholesale channels, including e-commerce where sales are particularly strong," Ahrendts said.

John Cheston, chief executive at Country Road, has left the upmarket fashion retailer after just two months in the position, citing "irreconcilable differences" with the company's board. "The situation is regrettable but the board is unanimously of the view that this is the best course of action to maintain the momentum and future growth of the business," said Country Road Chairman Simon Susman. "Our operating strategies remain unchanged."

MasterCard has enabled money transfers from smartphones and is laying the ground work for global online shopping. The company has partnered with an international e-commerce shopping firm called Borderlinx to allow cardholders to access online retailers in different countries.

Coles and Woolworths are shifting strategies to allocate more space to fresh foods, including dairy, fruit and vegetables, meat and baked goods, to appeal to health-conscious consumers who do not have a lot of time to spend shopping. Woolworths' newly unveiled supermarket format devotes about a third of its floor space to fresh foods. Previously, 20% was allocated for fresh categories. Coles is making similar moves.